Practicing reflection as a driver to successful careers for undergraduates and teaching assistants

    

Paola Barriga

Advances in Biology Laboratory Education, 2025, Volume 45

https://doi.org/10.37590/able.v45.abs22

Abstract

Metacognition is the ability to reflect about our learning, to learn about ourselves, and to take the actions that help us learn. Metacognitive awareness allows students to identify their strengths and weaknesses as well as empowering them to use adequate learning strategies depending on the task. Students who reflect on their own thinking are known to learn more than their peers who do not. Metacognition is associated with learning outcomes, performance, and problem solving. Metacognition is not only a valuable practice while students learn during their college years, but due to the general trend of adults changing careers or jobs more often than it used to be, learning to reflect about best practices of learning will set up students to be successful lifelong learners who will adapt to new job demands and markets. The ability to reflect on our own behaviors and ways of learning is an indispensable soft skill sought by employers as much as teamwork is. During this mini workshop I will share two short exercises I have created to enhance the undergraduate reflection. The first exercise is a short reflective writing assignment to think about accountability and integrity. The second exercise is a reflection deployed after collaborating in groups during laboratory activities. These exercises offer definitions to key behaviors that allow building trust in any relationship (e.g. accountability and empathy) as well as having a positive learning experience. Participants who attend this mini workshop will receive some examples of undergraduate reflections and will have the opportunity to discuss potential changes to the activities that could allow them to incorporate such exercises in their courses. Participants will also receive an example of a survey developed to enhance self-reflection in teaching assistants who are grading the reflections from undergraduates because TAs should model behaviors that build trust.

Keywords:  Metacognition, trust, careers

University of Maryland (2024)